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Body impressions and indentations are not always a sign of poor quality. Even the most expensive pillow-top mattress will develop indents; the pillow top is primarily supported by the foam just below it rather than by the coils or a box spring. If you’re lucky enough to have a new two-sided mattress, just flip it and call it a day. For single-sided pillow tops, rotate the mattress and use your vacuum to attempt to pull the stuffing back into position.

When You Can’t Flip, Rotate

Older and specialty mattresses may have two sides: Coils in the center surrounded by foam filling with plush pillow tops sandwiching everything in between. If you have an old mattress, your best bet is to replace it; no amount of fluffing will remove indentations, which are most likely sagging. If you have a new two-sided mattress with a pillow top on both sides, remove body impressions by flipping the mattress over. For the much more common single-sided mattress, rotate it head to foot and then manually fluff the pillow top to remove body impressions.

Prepping the Mattress

Strip off all the bedding – this is a good time to wash the sheets while you work. Keep dust and allergens from flying around as you fluff the mattress by first vacuuming it with a clean upholstery attachment. Wipe the attachment down before you get started, preferably with an antibacterial wipe, to prevent transferring odors to your bed. Vacuum the mattress thoroughly, including around the perimeter and where the pillow top connects to the foam base.

Redistribute the Pillow-Top Filling

With your vacuum attachment in hand, use the machine’s suction to pull the pillow top’s filling back into place. Starting around the perimeter of the impression, hold the attachment in one spot just long enough that the fabric sucks up; pull it up a bit with your hand and release. Repeat this step, working your way around the impression and slowly in toward the center. If necessary, use your hands to even out the filling even more. Think of it as working the lumps out of a comforter that got mangled in the dryer: Break up clumpy filling with the tips of your fingers, massaging the pillow top and slowly pushing it into place with the palms of your hands.

Preventing Body Impressions

Rotating your bed every two months or flipping it twice a year will help prevent indentations in the mattress. For a two-sided mattresd, rotate the mattress head to foot every other time you flip it. If you share the bed with a partner, try swapping sides every few months to even out the wear; even if you’re both similar sizes, everyone sleeps in a different position. When you have the bed all to yourself, take a similar approach, switching your preferred sleeping side – if possible – on occasion. Outfitting your bed with a padded mattress cover also reduces the appearance of body impressions; however, this adds to the thickness of your already-hefty mattress and may make getting your fitted sheet on the bed a task.

About the Author

Amanda Bell spent six years working as an interior designer and project coordinator before becoming a professional writer in 2010. She has published thousands of articles for various websites and clients, specializing in home renovation, DIY projects, gardening and travel. Bell studied English composition and literature at the University of Boston and the University of Maryland.

Photo Credits

Andersen Ross/Blend Images/Getty Images

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Bell, Amanda. "How to Take Out Body Impressions on a Pillow-Top Mattress." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/out-body-impressions-pillowtop-mattress-105859.html. 04 September 2015.

Bell, Amanda. (2015, September 04). How to Take Out Body Impressions on a Pillow-Top Mattress. Home Guides | SF Gate. Retrieved from http://homeguides.sfgate.com/out-body-impressions-pillowtop-mattress-105859.html

Bell, Amanda. "How to Take Out Body Impressions on a Pillow-Top Mattress" last modified September 04, 2015. http://homeguides.sfgate.com/out-body-impressions-pillowtop-mattress-105859.html

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